Clothes hanger construction



c. E. GINGHER 3,332,591

July 25, 1967 CLOTHES HANGER CONSTRUCTION I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1964 CARL E. G'INGHER y 1967 c. E. GINGHER 3,332,591

CLOTHES HANGER CONSTRUCTION Filed July 22. 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CARL E. GI-NGHER July 25, 1967 c. E. GINGHER CLOTHES HANGER CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 22, 1964 Patented July 25, 1967 ice 3,332,591 CLOTHES HANGER CONSTRUCTION Carl E. Gingher, 304-328 Depot St., Scranton, Pa. 18509 Filed July 22, 1964, Ser. No. 384,403 Claims. (Cl. 223-88) The present invention relates to clothes hangers of the type having a crossbar secured between the ends of the shoulder bar, more particularly, to features of construction in such shoulder bars including protection against sharp edges of the cross and shoulder bars and the connections between these two members.

The common and useful form of clothes hanger comprises a crossbar secured between the ends of a shoulder bar with both of said bars being used for supporting garments. Such hangers have generally been made of wood or plastic. The use of metal for such hangers has generally been unsatisfactory since it has been difiic-ult to economically fabricate a metal hanger. Further, in order to provide such hangers with sufi icient strength to give longlasting service, it has been necessary to make the hangers heavy and cumbersome and to use complex connections between the shoulder and crossbars. In addition, when such clothes hangers were formed from stamped metal parts, the resulting parts frequently had sharp edges which damaged clothing or injured the hand of the user when he grasped the hanger. Such metal hangers also had a ringing metallic sound when a number of them were piled together. These sounds were objectionable particularly in places such as hotels and the like where large numbers of hangers are customarily used.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved clothes hanger of the type having a crossbar secured between the ends of a shoulder bar with both bars being used for supporting garments.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a clothes hanger wherein both the shoulder and crossbars have inverted U-shaped cross sections.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple yet effective interlocking connection between the ends of the crossbar and the shoulder bar of a clothes hanger.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide novel construction features in a clothes hanger which may be made of wood or of synthetic plastic materials.

The clothes hanger of the present invention essentially comprises a crossbar secured between the ends of a shoulder bar with both of said bars being used for supporting garments and both bars having inverted U- shaped cross sections. There is a hanger hook upstanding from the central portion of the shoulder bar for supporting the hanger. In order to protect against the edges of the U-shaped cross and shoulder bars and to provide sound absorbing properties, a protective strip is closely fitted over the edges of the cross and shoulder bars. This protective strip comprises a plastic strip having a ribbon of metal foil encased therein. The strip closely straddles the edges of the cross and shoulder bars and is adhered thereto by a transparent cement.

In order that the protective strip may extend from one end to the other of the shoulder bar, a novel connection is provided between the cross and shoulder bars. In this connection, a socket is formed in the ends of the shoulder bar, and the ends of the crossbar are notched in order to accommodate the protective Strips at the ends of the shoulder bar.

The shoulder bar and crossbar are preferably stamped from metal, but these parts may also be made of plastic or one part may be made of plastic and the other of metal. Regardless of the material employed, the structural features disclosed herein may be used in order to obtain a clothes hanger having greatly increased strength.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparrent upon reference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an overall perspective view of the clothes hanger of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view in enlarged scale of one end of the hanger;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the protective strip of FIGURE 3 but in enlarged scale;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of the hanger end illustrated in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the end construction of the clothes hanger looking at the bottom thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 6 but showing a modification in the end of the crossbar in order to accommodate the protective strip;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 2 but showing the notched crossbar construction of FIGURE 7 FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view of the end of the notched crossbar;

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of the crossbar end shown in FIGURE 9; and

. FIGURE 11 is a vertical sectional view of the central portion of the hanger shoulder bar.

FIGURE 12 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 5 but of a further modification in the end of the cross bar in order to accommodate the protective strip on the shoulder bar;

FIGURE 13 is a side elevational view of the end of the modified crossbar of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a top plan view of the end of the modified cross bar of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 15 is an overall perspective view of a clothes hanger similar to that of FIGURE 1 with protective strips on the shoulder and cross bars but having a hand grip member;

FIGURE 16 is an exploded view in perspective of a portion of the shoulder bar and hand grip member of FIGURE 15; and

FIGURE 17 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 17-17 of FIGURE 15.

Proceeding next to the drawings wherein like reference symbols indicate the same parts throughout the various views, a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

With reference to FIGURE 1, there is shown a clothes hanger of the present invention indicated generally at 1, and comprising a shoulder bar 2 formed from a channel member and having an inverted U-shaped cross section. The shoulder bar 2 is curved to have the configuration as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and provides the main sup port of garments hung therefrom. To support the hanger, a hanger hook 3 having a shank portion 4 is secured to the shoulder bar at the central portion thereof. The shank 4- is inserted through an opening 5 in the shoulder bar and the inserted portion of the shank is bent at 6 and Welded to the underside of the shoulder bar. The hanger hook 3 is formed of steel wire and may be plated or coated with a suitable metal or plastic to enhance its appearance and to improve resistance to corrosion and wear.

The shoulder bar which may be stamped from metal of a suitable gauge thus has a channel shape with an upper surface or web portion 7 and downwardly directed edges 8. The extreme ends of the shoulder bar, as indi- Q cated at 9 and 10, are inclined slightly from the vertical, as shown in FIGURE 2. The extreme ends 11 of the shoulder bar 2 are then turned inwardly to form an inwardly extending U-shaped lip portion 12.

A crossbar 13 which similarly comprises a channel member of inverted U-shaped cross section extends between the inner faces of the ends 9 and 19 of the shoulder bar 2. The crossbar similarly comprises an upper surface or web portion 14 and downwardly directed edges 15. The ends of the upper surface 14 of the crossbar are bent downwardly at 16 so as to virtually close the end of the crossbar.

The ends of the crossbar 13 rest upon the shoulder bar lip portions 12 which may then be bent upwardly around the edges 15 of the crossbar to hold the same in position. As may be seen in FIGURE 5, the bent portions 16 of the crossbar engage the inner faces of the upper surface 7 of the shoulder barat the ends thereof. Since the ends of the shoulder bar incline inwardly to- Ward the center thereof, it can be seen that the inclined inner faces of the crossbar will prevent the crossbar from upward vertical movement, and the lip portion 12 will prevent downward vertical movement of the crossbar. Thus, the crossbar is effectively restrained against any movement by the socket formed at the inner ends of the shoulder bar. The bent ends 16 of the crossbar are spot welded to the shoulder bar, as indicated at 17.

As may be seen in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4, a protective strip 18 is fitted over the edges 8 of the shoulder bar and the edges 15 of the crossbar. The strip 18 is U-shaped in cross section and closely straddles the edges of these bars. The protective strip comprises a strip 19 of a transparent synthetic plastic material which encases a metallic foil 20 therein. The foil may be suitably colored in order to form a harmonious color scheme with the color of the shoulder and crossbars. The strips are secured to the edges of the cross and shoulder bars by a clear cement.

As may be seen in FIGURES l and 2, the protective strips on the shoulder bar extend between the extreme ends thereof, and the strips on the crossbar extend on the exposed portions of the edges of the crossbar.

In order that the ends of the crossbar may be received within the ends of the shoulder bar, and at the same time extend the shoulder bar protective strips to the ends thereof, as shown in FIGURE 2, the ends of the crossbar may be modified, as illustrated in FIGURES 7 through 10. As may best be seen in FIGURE 10, vertical notches 21 are provided at the ends of the crossbar 13. There are two notches at each end of the crossbar with the notches being located at the corners thereof. The transverse faces of the notches, indicated at 22, are inclined to conform to the angle of inclination of the ends 9 and 10 of the shoulder bar. The longitudinal faces of the notches are vertical and parallel to each other.

With this notched end crossbar construction, the ends of the crossbar rest upon the lip portions 12 of the shoulder bar, as shown in FIGURE 7. With this modification, the lip portions are not turned upward and over the ends of the crossbar, but the crossbar is still held securely in position because of the inclined ends of the shoulder bar urging the top of the shoulder bar downwardly against the lip portion. The bent end portions 16 of the crossbar are similarly spot welded to the ends of the shoulder bar. Because of the notched or recessed portions of the crossbar, the shoulder bar strip can extend to the bottom of the shoulder bar, as shown in FIGURE 2, and the 'inner portions of the protective strips will be accom- In the modified cross bar construction of FIGURES 12 to 14 the ends of the cross bar are cut away at the corners thereof in order to accommodate the protective strips on the ends of the shoulder bar in the vicinity where the cross bar is secured between the ends of the shoulder bar. The cut-out portions indicated at 26 include a portion of the cross bar side wall 27 and the upper surface 28 of the cross bar. The side wall edge 29 of the cut-out portion is inclined to correspond to the angle of inclination of the ends of the shoulder bar and extends back a suificient distance only to closely accommodate the protective strips at the ends of the shoulder bar as may be seen in FIGURE 12. The transverse depth of the cut-out 26 into the upper surface 28 of the cross bar is of a sufficient distance so as to accommodate the inner portions of the protective strips on the ends of the shoulder bars. The cut-out portions 26 are substantially of the same shape and dimension as the notches 21 in the cross bar described above.

It is thus apparent that the corners at the ends of the cross bar may be recessed either by the formation of the notches 21 therein or by cutting away the corners 26 in order to accommodate the protective strips on the edges of the shoulder bar.

Proceeding next to FIGURES 15 to 17, there is shown a clothes hanger 30 which is similar to the hanger 1 previously described but which is further provided with a hand grip member 31. The hand grip member 31 has a U- shaped cross section and comprises a bottom wall 32 with upstanding side walls 33 and 34. The upper edges of the side walls are curved to conform to the curvature in the central portion of the shoulder bar 2 so that the side walls may fit closely against the underside of the central portion of the shoulder bar. The ends of the bottom wall 32 extend outwardly at 35 and these extensions 35 are spotwelded to the underside of the shoulder bar to secure the hand grip member 31 in position.

The side walls 33 and 34 are substantially parallel to each other and the distance between the side walls is such to permit the hand grip member 31 to be positioned between those portions of the protective shoulder bar strips 18 which extend over the central portion of the shoulder bar.

The protective function of the strips 18 and 19 is particularly apparent when the shoulder and cross bars are stamped from metal. Such a stamping process may leave sharp or jagged portions along the edges. However, by applying these protective strips along the edges of the cross and shoulder bars, the edges are covered and the necessity of a further step of finishing or smoothing the edges is eliminated. These strips enable a person to readily grasp the shoulder or cross bar of such a metal hanger without any danger of injury to his hand.

The strips, particularly on the shoulder bar, also facilitate grasping of the hanger by the shoulder bar.

The strips also protect the hangers from damaging or marring each other when a number of such hangers are suspended from a supporting rod. Pushing together the hangers suspended from the rod will cause the protective strips to contact each other and thereby prevent chipping of the finish on the hangers. Further, these strips absorb a considerable amount of sound when hanging on a sup porting bar. The sound absorbing qualities are particularly Thus it can be seen that the present invention discloses novel features of construction particularly for use in clothes hangers comprising a cross bar extending between the ends of a shoulder bar when both bars are formed from channel strips of metal. Such clothes hangers may or may not include a hand grip member fitted against the central underside portion of the shoulder bar. The socket construction at the ends of the shoulder bar securely locks the cross bar in position and restrains the cross bar against movement. By recessing the ends of the cross bar, the cross bar can be modified to accommodate protective strips applied to the edges of the shoulder bar when the strips are extended to the ends of the shoulder bar. The resulting effect is a single protective strip extending along the edges of the cross and shoulder bars.

It will be understood that the particular construction and arrangement of the clothes hanger as described above and illustrated in the drawingsis not limitative of the invention since numerous changes and substitutions of parts may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the same being more particularly set out in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A metallic clothes hanger comprising a shoulder bar having an inverted -U-shaped cross section and downwardly inclined end portions for supporting a garment, a crossbar having an inverted U-shaped cross section secured between the end portions of said shoulder bar, means on said end portions of said shoulder bar defining sockets for receiving the ends of said crossbar and interlocking the bars together, a hanger hook attached to said shoulder bar for supporting said hanger, and protective strips of plastic material fitted over the edges of said shoulder and crossbars extending from one end to the other of said shoulder bar and along the exposed portions of the edges of said crossbar to straddle closely the same and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom.

2. A metallic clothes hanger comprising a shoulder bar having an inverted U-shaped cross section and downwardly inclined end portions for supporting a garment, a crossbar of inverted U-shaped cross section secured between the end portions of said shoulder bar, means on said end portions of said shoulder bar defining sockets for receiving the ends of said crossbar and interlocking the bars together, a hanger hook attached to said shoulder bar for supporting said hanger, and strips of transparent synthetic plastic material having a metallic foil ribbon encased therein being fitted around the edges of said shoulder and crossbars extending from one end to the other of said shoulder bar and along the exposed portions of the edges of said crossbar to straddle the same closely and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom.

3. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein recesses are formed in the legs of the inverted U at the ends of said crossbar transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said crossbar to accommodate the strips on the ends of said shoulder bar.

4. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 3 wherein said recesses are each formed with longitudinal and transverse faces and the transverse faces of said recesses being inclined at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the crossbar to conform to the inclined edges of the end portions of said shoulder bar.

5. A clothes hanger as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a hand grip member having a U-shaped cross section and a bottom wall with upstanding side walls which are fitted against the central underside portion of said shoulder bar, the distance between the side walls of said hand grip member being such to enable said hand grip member to be positioned between those portions of the protective strips extending over the central portion of said shoulder bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,828,975 10/1931 Magarian 223-88 1,877,283 9/1932 Diskin 223-88 X 1,962,399 6/1934 Littledale 223--88 2,166,798 7/1939 Cote 248345.1 X 3,052,390 9/1962 Gingher 223-88 FOREIGN PATENTS 214,774 5/ 1924 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METALLIC CLOTHES HANGER COMPRISING A SHOULDER BAR HAVING AN INVERTED U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION AND DOWNWARDLY INCLINED END PORTIONS FOR SUPPORTING A GARMENT, A CROSSBAR HAVING AN INVERTED U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION SECURED BETWEEN THE END PORTIONS OF SAID SHOULDER BAR, MEANS ON SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID SHOULDER BAR DEFINING SOCKETS FOR RECEIVING THE END OF SAID CROSSBAR AND INTERLOCKING THE BARS TOGETHER, A HANGER HOOK ATTACHED TO SAID SHOULDER BAR FOR SUPPORTING SAID HANGER, AND PROTECTIVE STRIPS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL FITTED OVER THE EDGES OF SAID SHOULDER AND CROSSBARS AND ALONG THE EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE EDGES SHOULDER BAR AND ALONG THE EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE EDGES OF SAID CROSSBAR TO STRADDLE CLOSELY THE SAME AND PROJECTING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM. 